Burnt for Her, Saved by Amnesia

ractured tibia and a hell of a hea

y Matt showed up, his face etched with worry, and asked, "Y

e damn apartment in hopes of impressing her. Total cringe. The kicker? She wasn't interested. Cold, distant, and according to Matt, I was bordering on stalker territ

ove; this was a damn train wre

ctural project back home at her family's farm. Ditching my city life and all those toxic memories, I vowed to

hing Jake s

white ceiling

throbbed i

. A sharp pain sho

Mr. Peterso

Jake asked. His

dent. Nasty fall. You'

me in. He h

les. You have a concussio

ed slowly

. "It seems you have some memory loss. Specifically, it ap

ed. "A per

friend is here. He m

tt walked in. His face

n, you sc

to see a familiar face. "T

ded. "Yeah. The

lose. "You really d

is mind. "Emily

ide with disbelief. "You're ki

. "I know you have a sister, but

isn't funny, Jake. You were o

head throbbed again

cked, then a flicker of s

s? You don't remember

, I don't

nything for her. And now you're telling me you

frustration. He didn'

know any Emily. If I'm lying, let

ect, that was

fight went out of him. "Okay

ough his hair. "Alright. Let me

ars ago. At her coffee shop, 'The Daily Grind'

onnect the words to any fe

se visits. You remember that little cafe near her place? Yo

he was always polite, but very distant. Cold, even. Y

ing Emily might visit one day and be impressed. How Jake lear

her cat, Mittens, and you're

f sneezing, but

is. A woman who w

uinely confused. "Chase someone who clearl

s I that desperate? It

. You said you knew she was the one,

. give me any s

s always polite, but firm. She told you several

bout someone else. "So, I spent two years chasing a woma

loved her," Ma

," Jake said. "Ther

Your phone. It

gs. Matt pulled out the phone. Th

said, handi

one, yet it felt foreign

Emily's birthday. 0

ped it in. The

mbers. "Her birthda

t looked

was beautiful, with warm brown eyes and a cascade of dark hair. But she looked... vaguely familia

g. No spark, n

d the phot

eath c

pictures of Emily

iping down the counter. Emily reading a book in the park, a frown of conce

camera, or at least, aware of him nearby, her eyes w

n the obsessive number of photos

all these?" J

"You called h

in his stomach. This wasn't

d looked for a notes app

It was a met

y's

st coffee

especially T

books

s (if she'

flow

's Di

ro

d no

e bein

'd actually written this, fo

ut (al

journal entries

day. She smiled at a

about the new park design. Sh

for her. Saw her give i

ed me to stop. Agai

ange sort of pity for the man who wrote these notes. T

app, his hand tr

att, his eyes

t to remembe

hat do you mean? The doct

sion. It's not healthy. It's not me. Or at

get these memories back. This is a fresh start

e, then seemed to think better of

f resolve hardening within hi

uzzed. He glanced at it,

take this. It's the ba

back later, okay?

," Jake s

m a quick, worried s

persistent throb in his head. He thought about the

like him

n phone rang. It was an unfami

arling,

spread through him. At lea

etie? I heard about the a

eg, bit of a headache. D

know this is probably bad timing, but

te. Bright, energetic, always laughing. They used t

d, a small smile touching his lips

itant, "her parents and I were talking... you know,

recalled his parents and the Millers joking about it when

hey need a lot of architectural work done. New barns, a guesthouse... She was ask

be. He thought about the obsessive, unhappy man in the phone.

ife. A

sion. It felt su

. "Tell the Millers I'm interested. In the pr

r's sharp intake of bre

e said.

, de

omeone who didn't love me back." He didn't mention her name. He

t surprised even himself, "I promise you, I

as part of a past he was

r voice thick with emotion. "Th

felt like a step forward. A step away from